4.26.2006

Weekend Notes

F***ing internet connection and dying computer. Grrrr. Our CD/DVD burner died just after I downloaded a batch of ambient water/wind/soothing iTunes to burn for earbud-eschewing Leelo, our hard disk is failing, and we only get an internet connection one hour out of every 40 or so. Like now. It's enough to make a girl impulsively buy a MacBook Pro just because her autistic son liked the PhotoBooth app at the Apple store so much. In the mean time, do not rely on email for contacting me.

I can't reveal the latest gestator until Bad Moms' Coffee on Thursday. Sorry! Jo, increasing the intensity of your threats will not get me to 'fess up. I am under verbal contract.

Iz ran into our local state representative, 1Ra Rusk!n, at the Cafe on Saturday and was totally starstruck. She eventually worked up the courage to ask him for his autograph. He says he remembered her from his campaign two years ago! She was absolutely tickled.

Leelo has mostly been great lately, but last night had a manic attack that had him waking up laughing uncontrollably every half hour from 1:30 AM until morning. Of course, Seymour and I had been up talking until 1:00 AM.

Still, our guy has been doing really well at school and in his home program. And with us he's been going on successful two mile hikes. We've also discovered that our entire family of five can fit on our newish see-saw, which Leelo also thinks is fantastic.

Mali got plonked in the church nursery this weekend for the first successful time ever. One of the nursery volunteers was an early childhood education specialist, which was nice for Mali because she got the intense interaction she so infrequently gets at home, poor thirdling. This same ECE person accosted us after services, pronouncing Mali "gifted," and telling us that we needed to research giftedness and that she would be legally entitled to the same custom-tailored services as a child with a learning disability.

Nice to hear; if true it means we will most likely be able to put her on the same Trident Montessori --> Esperanza Spanish Immersion --> Big Noggin track as Iz, without missing Esperanza kindergarten and without fighting for her to be moved up a grade, as she is one week ahead of the age cutoff and therefore will be one of the very youngest kids in her grade anyhow.

Of course as Mali's proud parents we already know that our baby is the cutest and the smartest, just like your baby. When I hold up an item and ask what it is, Mali is likely to answer before her brother--but is that due to neurotypicality or precocity? I do think it's funny that she will identify letter-shaped objects, such as the buckles on her stroller: "F"! She fill-in sings the letters at the end of each Alphabet Song line.

And she is 17 months old today.

I am in a partial panic about the next few days. The Planets of Inconvenience have aligned, compelling all of the people who help out with Leelo as well as our saintly Thursday night babysitters to march out on vacation or to conferences at the same time. From Thursday morning until Tuesday morning, I will lack even a single speck of help with Leelo or any of the kids. My parents are in Portugal, Seymour's parents are in Mexico. Seymour himself will be working extra-long hours to write a critical grant.

Normally all this would make me proactively grumpy, but instead I am feelng strangely and defiantly competent.